Steam-condenser and feed water heater.



P'atanted Sept. 4, I900;

I H; SMITH. STEAM cunnz'ussn AND man WATER HEATER.

(Appliation filed. Apr. 18, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Shoat I.

(No maul.)

II J NORRIS Perms co. PHoTo-uT-MmwAsmkm'om q o Patented Sept. 4, I900.

. R. n, SMITH. STEAM CONDENSER AND FEED WATER HEATER.

(Application filed A r. 13. 1900.)

(No Model.)

' 4 Shaets$heat 2.

RRIS PETERS co Paoraumq. WASHXNGTON. n. c.

o. 657,366. Patented saw. 4, I900.

- n. H. SMITH. V

STEAM CONDENSER AND FEED WATER HEATER.

( Applicatio'n filed Apr. 13,1900.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

mr NORRIS Prrcns cov wovmumd. WASNINUTDN. D.c

No. 657,366. Patented Sept. 4, I900.

' R. H SMITH.

STEAM CONDENSER AND FEED WATER HEATER.

(A pplication filed Apr. 13, -1900.)

4 sheats -sheet 4.

(No Medal.)

Hiram E. zmarum KH ION Fr kmkss Gum-k 11 450 E Ekkkamu.

mums. SEE m P IITED STAT-Es PATENT" FFIC.

RICHARD HALE SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS;

STEAM-CONDENSER Ann FEED-WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming eat of Letters Patent No. 657,366, dated. September 4, 1906.

- Application filed April 13,1900. 381mm). 12,712. tNomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD HALE SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Condensers and Feed-'Water Heaters Especially Adapted to be Used on steam Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to devices adapted for the ready condensation of steam and for feedwater-heating appliances.

The object of my invention is especially to provide a construction which may be employed upon a steam-motor, whereby loss of water may be avoided and the objectionable escape of steam be overcome.

' The object of my invention is, further, to provide an improved construction wherein steam may be rapidly condensed by the employment of sprays or jets of air and by the exposure to the air of a large condensing-surface or by either or all in combination.

My object is, further, to provide an improved construction wherein the feed-water fora boiler may be raised to near the boiling temperature, so that no loss will result by reason of water of too low a temperature being fed to the boiler. 1

My object is, further, to provide a device which shall be compact, of light weight, comparatively inexpensive, efiicient, simple, and automatic in its operation.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by.

the construction herein shown.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a plan view of a motor-wagon frame, showing my device mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, upon line 3 3, Fig. 1, of the condenser as seen from the rear of the wagon, showing the hot-well in section andshowing the end of the watersupply tank in full lines. showing the condensing-passages and spraytubes, taken on dolled line Htof Fig. 3. Fig.

' 5 is a side elevation of a modification wherein the supply-tank is elevated, and Fig.6

Fig. 4 isa View an enlarged view in section of oneend of the 7 well at right angles to 11; 13, a narrow space between the bottom of partitions and bottom of hot-well; 14 14, slightly-inclined horizon tally-arranged partitions; 15 15, spaces, as shown; 16, a blow-off or emptying-outlet; 17, a pipe connecting hot-well with the watersupply tank; 18, a water-supply tank; 19, an outlet from water-tank to smoke-stack;

20, a spraying-pump; 2l,'an eccentric; 22, a

hub of driving-gear; 23, a flexible pipe con necting with spray standpipe; 25, a spray stand-pipe; 26, perforated spray-pipes; 27, a

Vent-pipe connecting the lower portion of condensing-passage 9 with the water-supply tank 18; 28, a feed-water pump; 29, a suction-pipe; 30, a feed-water pipe or coil; 31, a coil of pipe for heating feed-water arranged in upper section of condensingchamber 8; I

32, a pipe connection between coil 3land the boiler 3; 33, an air-conduit leading from the conduit 35 to the conduit entering the condenser; 34, an air-conduit for project-ing air into the condenser; 35, a conduit leading from I air blower or pumpto conduit 33, and 36 an air-blower.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 I have shown the construction and operation of my device as 1 water passes to the water-supply tank to be used again. From the tank a portion ofthe water is conducted through a suitable feedwater heating coil, which'coil is located in designations.

the condenser, and from the coil it is carried and fed to the boiler. Water is also taken from the tank and carried to spraying-tubes, from .which it is projected in the form of spray to aid in the rapid condensation of the 1 steam in the condenser.

A description of the construction and operation of the condenser, the hot-well, the tank, and the feed-water heater are each herein-' after set forth in detail under their respective As illustrated herein, I have shown a motor-vehicle frame (indicated by Fig. 1) provided with suitable Wheels, gears, steering appliances, and supporting-frameworkv for. the various parts, together also with a boiler, motors, driving-chain, &c., and in detail I have shown a condenser which may be described generally as comprising an upper compartment and a series of broad flat coulduits connecting onewith the other and ar- I rangedat a slight incline to facilitate the fiow of water therethrough and rovided with a series of spray-pipes by whic jets or sheets of spray may be projected against and mingled With the steam and also provided with air-tubes arranged to project air into the condenser when found desirable andprovided also with a feed-water-heating coil. .1 have also'shown, a hot-well comprising asuitahle receptacle-provided with projections to prevent swashing and turbulence of the water and to separate the oil and sediment from the water in its passage through the hot well. I show also a water-tank which,'as illustrated, comprises a series of two or more narrow compartmentsseparated from each other, except.

forming spray-tubes, and in the upper cha mher or compartment 8 I arranges. feed-water heating coil, which -coil is hereinafter de scribedin detail. Ialso in some cases irovide air-inlet tubes 34:, adapted to project air into. the condenser, preferably at. a point adjacent to thefirst or upper spraymubeflfif.

The stand-pipe is designed to carry the wer tor-from a suitabl'e conduit connected witha pump to the spraying-tubes. The exhauststeam enters the condense rin the upper chemher and there coming in contact with the feed-waiter coil is partially condensed ,beca-use of the fact that the feed-water passing through l the feed-water coil maintains the. coilatla temperature below the temperature of the.eX- haust-steam. The steam and products of condensation flow from the chamber 8 {through a suitable connection or conduit to the upper one of the thin flat conduits 9, and upon entering the end of the first conduit 9 the steam spraying tube or tubes, (the spray being at 3 this point preferably projected. in the direction of the flow-of st'eam,') by reason of which spray the steam is rapidly condensed. Thence passing into the second section of the conduit 9 it moves toward the second spraying tube. or tubes and is met by showers of spray projected against the flow of the steam, thus further rapidly lowering the temperature and cases it. is advantageous .to force air under a very light. pressure into the condenser andprefer that it enter through a suitable conduit at a pointadjacent to the upper spray- "Dllbe, and I may use the air in conjunction with the water, or either may be used without the other, dependingon circumstances, temperature of the outside air, condensation required, he.v

as shown, comprises broad flat tubes arranged at inclines and suitably connected as before described, leaving free air-spaces between the. respective adjacentsurfaces, so that rapid condensation results by reason of the contact of the outside air with these surfaces, it will be seen that. asamodification of the construction of said broad flat condensing-surfaces I may employa multiplicity of tubes suitably arranged side by side and connected at each {end with a suitable. conduit, in which latter conduit I may arrange spraying-tubes projecting into said tubes, and thus produce the same resultv by such modified constructions- It. will also be seen. that. if for any cause it becomes necessary to in part orin whole obstruct the free passage of natural air-currents through the air-passages between the condenser-sections this may be overcome by the employment of deflecting-plates or byi nduced currents of lair being directed through said air.r assages. V

able tank or receptacle preferably divided into six compartments, as shown in thedrawings, by two vertical. partition-s 'extendin g 1 from front torear andone partition 12 extend ing, through the {center at right angles to the partitions .11, thus dividing the well into six The partitions have contact compartments.

with the top and sides of the hot-Well'walls, butdc not reach quite'to thebottom, leaving a small opening, for the water to pass-under- It will be-observed thatwhile the'condenser,

ct-welL-The hot-well comprises a suit-,

l at an incline, as shown in Fig. 3.

emcee to prevent the passage of any oil from the.

motor that may be floating upon the surface of the water of condensation from passing.

through into the third chamber. A portion of the hot-well is provided with lateral partitions arranged approximately horizontal, preference being given to their being arranged point being the most remote from the point.

where the water is taken by the spray and the feed pumps.

Water-tank.-The water-supply tank, as shown, comprises a series of long narrow chambers 18, each having a large amount of V radiating-surface with which the air comes in contact, each being connected with the adjacent ones, preferably as shown in Fig. 1. It will of course be readily seen that this tank may be made in one or more continuous coils or convolutions consisting of thin wide walls set very near to each other, forming a narrow continuous tank, with suitable air-passages between the narrow adjacent sections, so that there will be a large area of radiating-surface exposed to the air, and while the natural aircurrents are in practice found suflic'ient to accomplish the desired results deflectors may be employed to direct the air between the tanksections and induced currents of air may be employed, and the tank may be made in the form of a flat spiral coil or other convenient shape, provided it has the requisite large area of radiatingsurface exposed to the air. These water-chambers are of a capacity to collectively hold a sufficient quantity of water for the purposes required-that is to say, as the water is returned ,to it from the hot-well at a high temperature and must be taken from it at a lower temperature the water-suppl y reservoir being shaped and adapted to operate as a cooler should be of sufficient capacity to present the required cooling area, and to hold a sufficient quantity of water, so that the whole volume will not pass in too short a period through the spray and feed pumps. It will therefore be readily seen that the exact size or number of chambers required will be dependent to a large extent upon the varying conditibns existingwith reference to different styles and types of motor These parand diiferent uses in which the device maybe employed. It will be seen that in any event the water entering one of these chambers will pass slowly along and enter the next chamber, and so on continuously until reaching the outlet-orifice, and that duringits passage it is subjected to the cooling and condensing influence of a large area exposed to the atmosphere, so that, for illustration, if this condensing device be employed upon a motor-vehicle and the vehicle be moving slowly upon a smooth road without load the trifling amount of steam to be condensed would produce a correspondingly trifling amount of Water and the small amount of water requiringto be cooled would be easily cooled, because of the large area of surface of the walls of the chambers of the watertank exposed to the atmosphere, and that if the vehicle be in rapid motion and as a result a large amount of steam is employed, and hence is required to be condensed and a correspondingly large amount of Water to be cooled, then the rapid passage of the air between the walls of the condensing-passages and of the tank tubes or sections would produce a more rapid condensation of the steam and cooling of the contents of the tank.

Inasmuch as there is no pressure in the water-tank it will be see-n that I am enabled to employ very thin material in its construction, as a strength only is required necessary to safely carry the quantity of water which may be stored in the tank, so that very much more rapid cooling effect will be produced than if the material were required to be of a thickness 1 sufficient to sustain steam-pressure. I find in practice that sheet-copper of N o. 24 gage is sufficiently strong to construct the watertank in the form described, and as copper is a good conductor of heat I prefer to employ it in the construction of the tank, and to obtain an increase of the radiating surface or area and at the same time obtain more rigid walls I prefer to employ a corrugated or tion an upward current is induced, I utilize this current for the purpose of aiding in the cooling of the water by the arrangement before described, and to facilitate the passage of the air between said sections the sections are so formed in their lower edge as to deflect the air-current between the several sections,

thus utilizing the whole current of air for the beneficial results referred to.

Feed-wafer heater-The feed water heater consists of a flat coil, the coil being of a size to rest within the chamber 8 of the condenser. In shape I prefer that the feed-water coil be I 3 and 4,'is arranged to allow a large volume of steam to pass through the opening formed between the convolutions and also so arranged in the chamber or upper compartment 8 to permit the steam to flow both above the J upper'and below the lower series of pipes in rapid motion and a large amo unt of steam is being used. r

In Fig. 5 I show a modification of the details of one part of my invention whereby the watersupply may be elevated above the steam-condenser and located in any convensaid 0011, thus bringlng the whole area of surface in contact with the steam passing through and around the coil, rapidly bringing the contents OI the con nearer to the temperature of the steam in said upper compartment and at the same time condensing the steam to some extent. The heating-coil extends substantially from end to end of the upper compartment 8, and as the temperature of this compartment is highest at the end portion where the exhaust-steam enters it and as a high temperature of the water just before being fed to the boiler is desirable I feed the water into the coil at the coolest end To avoid possibility of steam-pressure in the condenser, which might occur underadverse conditions, and to provide ready relief for it and for the escape of the air, if any, in the condenser, I arrange a vent-conduit 27,

extending, preferably, from the upper portion 1 of the lower section of the condensing-passage 9 and reaching thence to a conduit suitably connecting with one .or more sections v tact with the surface of the water-in the tank- 1 sections, where it is rapidly condensed. A

of the water-tank, this arrangement being shown at 27 in Figs. 1 and 2, and by reason of this arrangement if any steam passes through these conduits it is brought in conconduit 19 extends from the connecting-section 18 of the water-tank and opens into the smoke-stack 4.

It will be observed that the shape of theseveral parts of the condensing and cooling mechanism is such as to bring about the free circulation of air throughout substantially their whole extent of surface.

tubes are arrangedlaterally in the condenser and the pump being properly proportioned will force a lesser amount of water through the sprayin g-tubes when but little is required and will force a greateramount through said tubes when a greater amount is required, be

cause of the fact, as'will readily be seen, that the pump works faster when the vehicle is in ient position without efiecting any change in the arrangement or action of the condenser,

in'which the spray-water and the condensedsteam water mlngle together and flow into the hot-well, from which it is returned to and mingled with the supply-water, as before, except that instead of flowing into the-receptacle by gravity it is raised by apump, and

when arranged as shown in Fig. 5 it is forced into the water-tank against a volume of air, compressing the air to any desired degree and the com pressed air employed to force the water from the tank-through the spray-tubes. It will readily be seen that instead of compressing the air in the tank for means to feed the spray-tubes the tubes may be fed either by pumping the water from the tank,- or if the elevation be sufficient for the purpose then gravity may be relied-uponto give the req uiisite pressure, and thus to perform the work withoTitthe employment of a pump to force the water through the spraying-tubes.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is a '1. Thecombination of a source offsteamsupply, a source of water-supply, and a con-' denser comprising a series of condensingtubes, having a large aggregate of radiating- ;sur'face arranged to have free and un0b-,

structed access to the surrounding moving currents of air suitably connected with each other, spraying-tubes arranged to project spray into the condensing-tubes, and means to return the comingled spraywater and water of condensation to the source of water- ;supply, and suitable conduits connecting the steam-supply with the condenser, and the iwater-supply with the spraying-tubes, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of a steam-condenser comprising a chamber as 8, and a series of wide thin flat condensing-tubes arranged with air-passages therebetween, and a feedwater-heating coil as 31 located in said chamher and suitable conduits connecting said coil with the water-supply and boiler, and said chamber with the exhaust of a steammotor. p

3. A steam-condenser comprising a series of broad flat condensing-tubes adjacent to, but separated from, each other for passage of air therebetween, suitable conduits to conduct thesteam into and water away from the condenser, and means to force air into the condenser. a

4. The combination ofsuitable conduits, a

steam-condenser comprising broad flat condensin g tubes, with air passages therebewater into the condenser-tubes, and means to force water and air into said conduits respectively substantially as shown.

5. The combination of a suitable frame, wheels suitably mounted thereon, a watersupply tank comprising a multiplicity of narrow sections, suitably connected and arranged near each other but with air-spaces between their bread flat sides, the same bein g suitably supported on said frame, a steamboiler, a motor, suitable connection between the motor and traction wheels, a steam-con denser comprising an upper chamber to receive the exhaust-steam and a series of thin flat steam-conduits alternating with a series of open air passages arranged below said chamber, the upper conduit being connected with said chamber, and the others connected with each other to conduct the steam-and water in a tortuous course to a hot-well located below the level of the condenser, means to convey the water from the hot-well to the water-tank and meansto force water from the tank into the boiler and from the tank through the spray-tubes into the condenser substantially as shown.

6. The combination of a source of S1363.II1-/ supply, a water-supply tank, a steam-condenser, and a feed -water heater, the condenser consisting of a series of broad thin condensing-tubes alternating with a series of open air-passages, a chamber as 8, a feedwater coil arranged in the chamber 8, a series of spraying-tubes arranged to project the spray into the condenser-tubes, means to force water from the Water-tank through the spraying-tubes, and means to force water from the water-tank through the heating-coil to the boiler, substantially as shown.

7. The combination of a source of steamsupply, a source of water-supply, and a condenser comprising a series .of condensingtubes, having a large aggregate of radiatingsurface arranged to have free and unobstruct: ed access to the surrounding moving currents of air, suitably connected with each other, spraying-tubes arranged to project spray into the condensing-tubes, and arranged to project the spray in the direction of the flow of steam while passing through a portion of the condenser and to project spray against the flow of the steam during its passage through another portion of the condenser, means to return the comingled spray-water and water of condensation to the source of water-supply, and suitable conduits connecting the steam-supply with the condenser, and the water-supply with the spraying-tubes, substantially as shown.

8. The combination of a steam boiler or motor, a conduit for exhaust-steam, a storage water-supply,and a steam-condenser comprising one or more flattened tubes or conduits of large area located adjacent to but having the convolutions separated from each other by open passages for air and provided with suitable conduits connecting the adjacent tubes with each other, whereby the steam and products of condensation flow in a tortuous course and are exposed to a large area of radiating-surt'ace and means to return the water of condensation to the water-supplyandto the steam-boiler, substantially as shown.

9. The combination of a source of steamsupply, suit-able conduits,a source of watersupply, a condenser comprising one or more flattened condensing tubes or conduits of large area located adjacent to but with their convolutions separated from each other by open air-passages and provided with suitable conduits connecting the adjacent tubes with each other, whereby the steam and products of condensation flow in a tortuous course exposed to a large area of radiating-surface,

spraying-tubes arranged in the condensingtubes and means to return the comingled spray-water and the products of condensation to the water-supply, substantially as shown.

10. The combination of a steam-boiler, a steam-motor,a steam-condenser, suitable connections, and a water-supply tank consisting of two or more long narrow receptacles located adjacent to and substantially parallel with each other and with a space between them for the circulation of air for the purpose of cooling the water, substantially as shown.

11. In com'bination with a condenser a water-supply tank, comprising two or more narrow receptacles arranged substantially parallel and adjacentto each other, and having their lower edges V-shaped, substantially as shown.

12. The combination of awater cooling and supply tank consisting of two or more long narrow flat tubes connected in series and having their flat sides exposed to air-curren ts, a steam-generating apparatus and suitable .conduits connected with the opposite ends of the said series of tubes, whereby the water is exposed to a large radiating-surface between i-ts entry and discharge from the cooling and supply tank, substantially as described. RICHARD HALE SMITH.

Witnesses:

S. SWEENEY,

-DEXTER E. TILLEY. 

